What 2 Flashes Means
Two flashes every five seconds means the bin sensor is reading open or shorted. Viking's VUIM/DUIM150 service manual (2009) spells out the consequence on page 29: when the bin thermistor fails, or reports a temperature outside the 25 to 140 degree Fahrenheit window, every load is switched off and the machine will not run at all.
Common Causes of 2 Flashes
- Bin thermistor open or shorted
- Thermistor not fully inserted into its plated sensing tube, so it never reads the bin properly
- Connector at the electronic control unplugged or corroded
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Nothing can be tested from the bin, but the behavior is worth recognizing: a machine that has gone completely silent rather than partly working matches this pattern, because the control shuts everything down rather than carrying on without a bin reading.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Viking is explicit that the thermistor must be fully inserted into its plated sensing tube for proper detection, and a sensor refitted short of home reports the wrong thing while looking perfectly installed.
- Reaching the bin thermistor means removing the escutcheon panel, the cutter grid, the ice deflector and the reservoir in sequence, with the water line and drain disconnected first.
- The thermistor is checked against a published resistance and temperature table to within four per cent, so a reading without that table proves nothing.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.